


In Good Time

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-23
Updated: 2006-02-22
Packaged: 2018-08-15 15:57:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 10,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8062738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: What has happened to the crew of the Enterprise? Can anyone solve the mystery? (05/18/2003)





	1. The Silent Ship

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

When Commander Charles Tucker woke up that morning, the clock in his quarters was flashing all zeros. He knew instantly that he had over slept and chalked the flashing clock up to a minor glitch in ship's systems, which he fully intended to deal with later. He threw his uniform on in a rush, cursed his ill luck, which had cost him his breakfast, and began purposefully trudging to engineering, where he was expected to be at 07:00.

As he strode through the corridors of the Enterprise, it struck Trip as very odd that no one else was around. The ship was normally bustling with activity in the morning. On an ordinary day he could expect to pass no less than five crewmen on his way to the lift from his quarters. Nevertheless, he continued toward engineering.

But it too was empty.

Commander Tucker walked around the empty, all too quiet engineering for several long minutes. Everything was in perfect working order. In fact the ship was traveling at warp four. Only the emptiness seemed wrong. Engineering was never left unmanned and unattended. If there were a list of rules for running a star ship, that would certainly have been at the top: never leave engineering unsupervised.

It was with great reluctance that Trip left engineering and climbed aboard the lift again. He knew that the next place he had to visit was the bridge.

The stars were passing before the great ship at an awe-inspiring speed as Commander Tucker glanced at the view screen. Everything was on-line and as it should have been, but the bridge was vacant and silent as he stood there, baffled.

"This is not happening!" he said out loud and feeling very much like it was all a bad dream.

Then, behind him, the lift doors suddenly whisked open ...


	2. The Empty Ship

Commander, are you aware that a significant number of the crew are not at their stations?" asked the cool, even voice of Sub-commander T'Pol. Tucker had never been so glad to hear her voice.

"T'Pol!" he exclaimed. She raised an eyebrow as he grinned with relief. "I thought I was the only one left!"

"Left, commander? Do you mean that the crew is ... absent from the ship?"

"I don't know what I mean. I just know that engineering is empty and so is the bridge."

T'Pol walked to the science station and brought up the internal sensors. The sensors showed only one other life form aboard the ship.

"Have you been to sickbay, commander?"

"No, I didn't think it would help." said Trip, cracking a smile as he watched her at her station.

"I am reading a biosign from that location. It appears to be Denobulan. It would seem that we are not entirely alone."

The faint odor of burned out circuitry was in the air and the lights were out as they entered sickbay. Commander Tucker fiddled with the a panel by the door for a moment before the lights came on. Their illumination was sickly, but manageable.

"Hey, doc!" called Tucker as they stepped into sickbay.

"There." said T'Pol, nodding toward the biobeds.

A pair of feet were sticking out from between two of the beds.

Tucker glanced at her and momentarily wished that anyone, even Malcolm or Hoshi, were stuck on the ship with him. The calmness and lack of concern in her voice chafed as he dashed toward the chief medical officer.

"Doc?" questioned Trip, kneeling next to the sprawled form.

"It looks as though he received a shock from the instrument panel." said T'Pol as she joined him. One of the consoles near the biobeds showed signs of shorting out: faint scorching and a darkened screen.

"No kidding." muttered Commander Tucker. He shook Phlox by the shoulders. "Doc, can you hear me?"

"He does not seem to injured severely." said T'Pol as she ran a tricorder carefully over his body. "His right hand shows signs of a first degree burn" she added.

The doctor groaned and opened his eyes.

"What happened?" he questioned.

"That has yet to be determined." T'Pol informed him, speaking more globally of the situation.

"We think you received a little shock." Trip answered, glaring at T'Pol.

Phlox sat up slowly, looked at his singed fingertips, and nodded in agreement before saying, "Yes, commander, I believe you are right."

"Do you require medical attention, doctor?" inquired T'Pol, finally tucking the tricorder away.

"No, I don't believe so." he replied.

"Then I'm afraid we have some more bad news."


	3. Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?

"And you have no idea where the rest of the crew is?" questioned Phlox after Tucker and T'Pol had told him what had happened, that they were alone aboard the Enterprise.

"None." said the Vulcan sub-commander impassively.

"Are we in orbit around a planet? Perhaps they beamed down or something." suggested Phlox, shuffling his feet as he spoke.

"Impossible. We are traveling at warp speed." said T'Pol.

"Speaking of that. Do you think we might ought to stop until we find out what's going on?" asked Trip.

"Yes, that would be for the best. Where ever the crew has gone, it is very likely that it is somewhere behind us, therefore we are traveling away from them." agreed T'Pol.

"I'll go up to the bridge and put the brakes on then. The two of you should probably check the shuttle bay and take a count."

"A logical suggestion." said T'Pol approvingly.

"All shuttlepods are accounted for." said T'Pol as the trio seated themselves in the situation room. That had been Commander Tucker's idea. They certainly had a situation.

"So what we have on our hands is a mystery." said Phlox.

"Eighty missing crew members." sighed Tucker, who still desperately wanted to believe that it was a nightmare.

"Indeed." said T'Pol.

"And we haven't found any sign that the ship was boarded." stated Trip.

"That is correct." verified Sub-commander T'Pol.

"And the transporter has not been activated."

"It was last used two weeks ago to beam up a mineralogy sample."

Commander Tucker ran his hands through his hair and asked, "Do you suppose it's time to contact Star Fleet?"

"Why not the High Council?" questioned T'Pol, raising an eyebrow.

"Because this is a Star Fleet vessel."

"Under the command of a Vulcan officer."

"Now, now," interrupted Phlox before the conflict could escalate, "I don't think it matters who we call as long as someone is notified. It was Commander Tucker's suggestion, so why not let him contact his people and then you can contact yours, sub-commander."

T'Pol considered this for a moment before, saying, "That seems equitable enough, for now."

"Fine." agreed Trip.

"What do you mean you can't raise them?" asked Trip, almost thinking that she was going back on the agreement.

"I mean, commander, that I cannot reach anyone using the frequencies you provided. It is highly irregular." answered T'Pol.

"Could there be something wrong with our equipment?" questioned Phlox.

"No." answered T'Pol, concentrating on the communications station. "I cannot raise Vulcan either. It seems that all communications have been cut off. It is almost as though we are alone in the universe."

"Have you tried the long range scanners? Are there any other ships out there?" asked Tucker.

"There are no ships within scanning range, commander."

Tucker leaned against a nearby console and closed his eyes, asking no in particular, "Now what?"

"I see no clear alternative. We must retrace our steps. If the answer to this mystery is to be found, then it is behind us."

"So we double back?"

"Yes, commander."

T'Pol left the communications station and took a seat at the helm. She frowned as she began to set the course.

"Is something wrong, sub-commander?" asked Phlox as he watched her.

"Perhaps." she answered. "When I last reviewed the ship's course twenty-four hours ago, we were in an area of space with which I had some familiarity. We are still in that same sector, but the star Delta-649 has changed. It became a red giant approximately seventy million years ago. According to these readings, it is a much younger star than it should be."

"What are you saying?" asked Commander Tucker.

T'Pol looked away from the helm and said, "It is possible that we have gone back in time seventy million years or more."


	4. All Alone in the Night

"Then Star Fleet isn't there." stated Trip, taking a heavy seat at the tactical station.

"Nor is the Vulcan High Council." said T'Pol.

Phlox and Tucker hung their heads, digesting the information that the science officer had given them. They were at least seventy million years in the past. Everything that they had ever known had yet to be, except for the Enterprise, which was missing eighty members of its crew.

"We can't even go back to earth." sighed Tucker with a slight rattle in his chest.

"Your planet is still there. It would not be as you remember it, but it is still there, commander." said T'Pol, perhaps offering the words as a bit of assurance.

"Where can we go?" asked Phlox.

"Even though we are under-staffed, it would be quite possible to take the Enterprise to any number of places. Unfortunately, I don't know of any planet with a humanoid civilization in existence at this time." answered T'Pol.

"Then we just have to find a way back to our own time." said Trip.

"I agree, commander, but that is more easily said than accomplished. For instance, we do not know how we traveled back in time, making it both difficult and unlikely that we should find our way back."

"Difficult, hell, even impossible or not, we have to try."

"I agree." said Phlox.

"Then I will plot a course that we take us back to where we were yesterday." said T'Pol, the complexities of the statement not lost on her as she turned her attention back to the helm.

"Take it slowly, T'Pol. We aren't sure what we're looking for." suggested Tucker.


	5. Left Behind I--Lieutenant Reed's Mystery

"It's strange, sir, but Commander Tucker didn't show up for his shift either." said Lieutenant Reed with a worried frown. He had just returned from checking Sub-commander T'Pol's quarters, which had been empty.

"So two of my officers are missing?" questioned Captain Archer.

"Three, sir. Dr. Phlox has been reported absent from sickbay."

"Have you instituted a ship wide search?"

"That was going to be my next course of action, pending your approval, sir."

"Do it, Malcolm. I want those officers found."

"Yes, sir." said Malcolm. He looked uncertain. "I don't think they are aboard ship, sir. I don't pretend to know where they are, but if Commander Tucker were on board, he would have been in engineering and on time this morning."

"I know, but we have to be sure. Report back to me when the search is finished."

It was two hours later when Lieutenant Reed found himself standing in the captain's ready room again. He looked at the floor for several seconds before he had the strength to lift his head and speak.

"Sub-commander T'Pol, Commander Tucker, and Dr. Phlox are not aboard at this time. It is my unhappy duty to certify them as missing, sir."

"We have been traveling at warp four for several days. How could they get off the ship, even if they wanted to?"

"The shuttlepods are all accounted for, the transporter has been off-line for more than a week, and there are no signs that the ship has been boarded. I cannot even say for certain that they left the ship. I only know that they are no longer here, sir."

Malcolm had been thorough. He had checked every possibility, even the most remote ones before he made his report. Even as he spoke to Captain Archer, security personnel were going over the quarters of the missing officers and sickbay with tricorders and a fine toothed comb. If there was any evidence relating to their disappearance, Reed knew that they would find it. But deep down in the pit of his stomach, he also felt that it was very likely that there were no clues.

"Sir, I may have more to add to the report in a few hours." Malcolm told the captain as he looked at the data pad.

"Thank you, lieutenant. I know you will do your best to solve this mystery."

"I will, sir. I can promise you that."

When the lieutenant had left his ready room, Archer slowly shook his head and laid the pad aside.

"A mystery." he said softly. Is that what it was when three crewmen disappeared without a cause and left no trace?

"The middle console, sir." Lieutenant Reed told the captain, pointing to a panel in sickbay that showed slightly scorch marks.

"What happened here?" Archer asked.

Reed frowned and said, "It isn't easy to say, sir. It looks as though the console was in the process of shorting out and catching fire, but then it suddenly stopped."

"Did someone put it out?"

"No, sir. There would be at least some traces of extinguishing agents or other chemicals. It seems to have spontaneously stopped burning."

"And you don't know why?"

"No, sir, but we did find something else here."

"What?"

"Burned skin cells from a Denobulan."

"Malcolm?" questioned Archer, blanching slightly as he thought of the jovial doctor being electrocuted by a console.

"Oh, no, sir. There were only a few cells. Dr. Phlox couldn't possibly have been killed or vaporized by the console. It just couldn't happen." said Reed hastily.

"Good." said Archer with a barely audible sigh of relief.

"It doesn't really put us any closer to solving the mystery, but it is a clue. Or at least I hope it's something, sir."

"I have had the entire ship searched, sir. There is nothing more than can be learned about the disappearances." Malcolm told the captain, giving his a data pad that contained his supplemental report.

"Your recommendation?" questioned Archer, looking the lieutenant in the eye. The armory officer's eyes smoldered with helpless frustration.

"Reverse course, sir. They must have been taken off the ship without our knowing. I cannot think of anything else that makes any sense."

"Fine." said Archer, who had been thinking of doing just that. "And make one more search while we are en route. It can't hurt."

"Of course, sir." said Malcolm, his tense shoulders relaxing. Something was being done.

"And you think this is a clue?" questioned Archer, leaning down to look at the blinking clock.

"Yes, sir. The only malfunctioning clocks are in the quarters' of the missing officers and in sickbay. The rest appear to be operating normally." Malcolm informed him. "I can't believe we missed it our first time through." he added, mentally kicking himself.

"It's all right, lieutenant." said Archer. "Do you have any theories about how your clues fit together?"

"The two phenomena, the clocks and the console in sickbay, are both electrical in origin. Perhaps some kind of electrical or electromagnetic disturbance ..." said Malcolm, faltering.

"Lieutenant?"

"If you don't mind, sir, I would rather go over the sensor logs before I begin speculating."

"Do it, and get all the help you need."

"Thank you, sir."


	6. The Birds and the Bees

"Is anyone else hungry?" asked Phlox as the trio sat around the bridge in silence, watching the stars hurtle by at warp two and monitoring the sensors.

"I could eat." admitted Trip.

"The two of you should have a meal then. I will remain here and continue the task at hand." said T'Pol.

"Can we bring you back anything?" asked Trip.

"It would not be appropriate to have food on the bridge."

"We won't tell if you won't."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow at Commander Tucker and said, "I am not concerned with being caught. I am merely stating that it would be a breach of protocol to eat at one's station, especially considering our current situation."

"I give up." said Trip, rolling his eyes and walking toward the lift with Phlox.

"I believe that in her own way, Sub-commander T'Pol is just as overwhelmed as we are about our ... situation." said Phlox as they ate in the empty mess hall.

"She has a funny way of showing it. How can she talk about protocol at a time like this?" questioned Trip, just shaking his head as he shoveled food into his mouth.

"There is comfort in structure and familiarity for some people. As long as she has duties to perform and rules to follow, she need not think about other things, such as what we will do if we are permanently trapped seventy million years in the past."

"I never looked at it like that." admitted Trip, frowning.

"You are fond of the sub-commander after a fashion, aren't you?"

Trip dropped his fork and stared blankly at the doctor.

"Come again, doc?" he choked, having sudden difficulty in swallowing his food.

"I'm sorry, commander. Did I say something wrong?" asked the Denobulan, not looking at all apologetic.

"I'll say!" exclaimed Tucker. He paused and asked, "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Many things, commander: the way you go out of your way to get into a conflict with her, the way you look at her, your insistence upon annoying her, and most telling of all, the fact that despite all of these other things, you are at your best when you work with her. Oh, yes, commander, the signs indicate that you are very fond of T'Pol indeed."

"And her? Do you think the sub-commander is fond of me at all?"

Phlox grinned broadly and said, "She is a Vulcan. Don't forget that. If she were fond of you, she would go out of her way to suppress any sign of it."

"Okay, so if she liked me, I would never know it."

"No necessarily. The suppression of her fondness for you would possibly force other emotions closer to the surface, such as irritation, for instance. Vulcans that I have worked with respond to annoyances with cool passivity. That is not always the case with Sub-commander T'Pol."

"Are you trying to tell me that T'Pol acts pissy toward me because she likes me?" asked Tucker incredulously.

"It is something to consider, commander."

"I'll say." muttered Trip, finally picking up his fork again and returning to his meal.

"Try not to let what I have told you distract you too much from our mission."

Tucker looked him in the eye and laughed, "Good one, doc."


	7. Where Have All the Soldiers Gone? II

"I reviewed the logs made during the last twenty-four hours while you were having your meal." T'Pol informed them once they returned to the bridge.

"And?"

"It was not noted in the logs made last night, but in the sensor logs, I found indications of a temporal disturbance, through which the Enterprise passed."

"What kind of temporal disturbance?"

"It is difficult to say, but whatever it may have been, it could be responsible for our situation."

"How far away is it?" asked Tucker.

"At our present speed we should reach the coordinates in thirty-six hours."

"What if we returned to warp four?"

"Inadvisable. It may be moving. We could miss it if we were traveling at such a speed."

"But thirty-six hours ..." said Trip, shaking his head.

"You seem to forget that I am in command. The risk of not finding this disturbance is too great at a higher speed. It is my decision to remain at warp two."

Trip felt his temper rising, but Phlox spoke before he had the chance: "Thirty-six hours is not so long, commander, in comparison with seventy million years."

"Of course." Tucker conceded.

"So if we're in the past, where do you suppose the rest of the crew went?" asked Trip, glancing up from his turn at the helm. "You don't suppose they're just floating out in space back in our time, do you?"

"It is possible, commander, but it is necessarily so." replied T'Pol from the captain's chair. Phlox looked up from his seat at tactical where he was out of the way, expecting to see sparks fly.

The commander chose not to pursue that avenue of inquiry. He decided that it was in no one's best interest to contemplate their crew-mates' deaths.

"Any theories as to what might have happened?"

"None that I may present without substantial speculation."

"We don't mind speculation, do we, doc?" chuckled Tucker.

"Not at all." agreed the good doctor.

"Very well." said T'Pol, arching one eyebrow. "Upon what part of our present situation do you wish me to speculate?" she questioned.

"What will happen when we go through the temporal disturbance again?"

"In theory we should be returned to our own time."

"And the crew?"

"If we are sent back to the moment when we vanished, then nothing will have happened as far as they are concerned."

"You mean, they won't have vanished?"

"Speculatively, from their perspective, we won't have vanished."

"And the ship?"

"I am still ... working on that question."

"Ah."


	8. Tuna is Only a Fish

The question about the ship bothered Commander Tucker for several hours as he sat quietly monitoring the helm. They were aboard the Enterprise and seventy million years in the past. They were missing most of the crew, including everyone from Captain Archer to his dog. Where were they? No, when are they? That was the better question. If they were in the future, were they dead in the vacuum of space, or did they not exist anymore? Were they caught in the temporal disturbance?

Although Trip did not realize it, T'Pol was at the science station searching for an answer to his complex questions. She ran simulation after simulation only to find them all lacking. If any Vulcan had felt or understood desperation since the days of Surak, then she was that Vulcan, but the only sign of such an emotion was her creased brow as she worked.

"What time is it?" Phlox asked them after several hours of silence, punctuated only by the occasional soft bleep of a console.

"The clocks are all out. No way to know." said Trip, rubbing his eyes.

"I would recommend that the two of you get some rest. It is probably very late." suggested Phlox.

"Vulcans can go for days without sleep." said T'Pol.

"And so can humans, but that doesn't mean that either of you should. I can mind the helm for a few hours."

"You haven't eaten all day." Trip reminded T'Pol.

"Very well. I acknowledge your logic. You have the bridge, doctor." she said, relenting.

"No point in eating alone, is there?" asked Trip as he sat down with T'Pol in the mess hall. How many hours had passed since his last meal? Or hers? It wasn't easy to keep track.

"I suppose not." said T'Pol, slowly stirring her bowl of broth.

"Is that all you're eating?" Trip questioned. He had prepared himself two rather large tuna sandwiches. He would have cooked something, but he was certain that T'Pol was planning to eat and run.

"It is very nutritious, commander.

"So are these. I'll let you have one, if you want."

"I am a vegetarian. They contain meat."

"It's only fish." said Commander Tucker, holding a sandwich out to her.

Trip could see her hesitate. Her eyes moved back and forth between the tuna sandwich and her broth.

"Thank you, commander." said T'Pol, accepting the sandwich, much to Tucker's surprise.

"You're welcome, T'Pol." he said, smiling. "You know, you could always call me Trip like everyone else does."

"I will keep that in mind." she said, sniffing the sandwich before taking a bite.

"How is it?" asked Trip.

"It is not entirely unpleasant."

"Is it good then?" he asked as she took another bite.

"Yes, Trip, it is a good sandwich." she replied.


	9. Left Behind II--Ensigns Have Feelings Too

The news had spread quickly through the ship until by mid afternoon everyone knew that three of the senior officers were missing. The mood of the ship became immediately subdued once the word was out. When many of the crew gathered in the mess hall the evening, the chief topic of conversation was their missing comrades, not surprisingly. Ensigns Mayweather, Sato, and Cutler gathered at a table together to talk over the events of the day.

The two young women looked very down as they picked at their meals, but Mayweather, always the tough and space-smart boomer, told them, "Look, Commander Tucker is an excellent officer, and Sub-commander T'Pol is a Vulcan. They can handle any situation, trust me."

"What if they aren't in a situation, Travis. What if they're dead." said Hoshi, voicing the collective fears of many of the crew.

"I don't believe that for a minute. What would have killed them?" asked Travis, scoffing at the very idea.

"What if it was some kind of malfunction."

"Then there would be evidence, bodies, signs of something happening. When this is all over, everything will be back like it ought to be and it will make sense." argued Travis.

"But you don't know that." said Ensign Cutler.

"You'll see." said Travis confidently.

"Sir, I think I found something in the sensor logs from last night." Lieutenant Reed told his commanding officer, presenting him with yet another data pad.

"What?" prompted Archer.

"It appearances to have been a very small temporal anomaly or disturbance, sir. The ship passed right through without anyone being the wiser."

"And our missing officers?"

"It is my suspicion, sir, that this was the cause of their disappearance, but as for getting them back ... I wouldn't begin to suggest a way to do it."

"Have the helm plot a course back to the disturbance. It shouldn't be far. And have them keep a safe distance, lieutenant. We can't afford to lose anyone else."


	10. Say Good-Night, Crazy

"This was a very interesting meal, Trip." the Vulcan told him as they left the mess hall. Trip smiled as she finally managed to use his nickname.

"Thank you, T'Pol. Maybe we should eat together again sometime. Just the two of us." he suggested.

"That would be quite acceptable."

They walked out of the mess hall together and walked in silence toward their quarters. When they reached the door to Trip's quarters, they paused. Trip looked into her eyes for what seemed like hours. Then she looked away.

"Good-night, Trip." she said coolly, turning to walk down the corridor.

"You know, you could always stay and make sure that neither of us disappears during the night." said Commander Tucker, mustering all of his nerve. He knew it was a lousy excuse.

T'Pol raised an eyebrow and said, "I find it highly unlikely that either of us would disappear tonight. We are still a significant distance from the temporal disturbance."

"Just a thought." said Tucker with a soft smile. "Good-night, T'Pol."

She nodded her head slightly and continued down the corridor. Trip just leaned against the wall and shook his head.

"What was I thinking?" he muttered to the ceiling.


	11. We Have a Problem

"Phlox to Tucker and T'Pol. The long range scanners have picked up a vessel on an intercept course. Please report to the bridge."

A vessel? Commander Tucker marveled at the very thought. Where or even when had it come from? His heart pounded as he threw on his uniform. If they were hostile, how could the Enterprise be defended by only three crewmen? Trip wasn't sure that it could be done.

As Trip left his quarters at a jog, he heard the sound of soft, fast footfalls behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a mildly disheveled T'Pol following him.

"Looks like we've got ourselves some trouble this morning." he told her as they boarded the lift to the bridge.

"Yes, it does." she said impassively.

Phlox looked up anxiously from the helm as they entered and slowly came to his feet, relinquishing the bridge to Sub-commander T'Pol.

"How far away are they, doc?" questioned Tucker as T'Pol immediately seated herself at the helm station and began to examine the sensor readings.

"Several light years, but they are moving at a high warp. If I read the instruments correctly, they are traveling at warp nine." Phlox told him.

Tucker's eyes widened in astonishment as he asked, "Warp nine?"

"He is correct, commander, and they are closing fast."

"Well, it's patently obvious that we can't out run them."

"I am dropping out of warp. Commander Tucker, man the tactical station." T'Pol ordered.

"You don't think we can shoot our way out of this, do you?" asked Trip as he took the station.

"No, but it may be our only recourse."

CHAPTER 12: The Great Experimenters

When the Enterprise came to a halt, they found themselves face to face with a small vessel of an entirely unfamiliar design. It stopped a few thousand kilometers from the ship.

"T'Pol, it doesn't seem to have any weapons." said Tucker, both incredulous and relieved.

"Most fortunate."

"I believe they may be hailing us." said Phlox, pointing toward communications where a light was blinking. They both looked at him. "Just tell me what buttons to press, sub-commander." sighed the Denobulan doctor.

In a few moments a pair of aliens appeared on screen. They sort of smiled when they looked at the three officers. One pressed a few buttons on a nearby terminal before the other began to speak.

"Greetings! We did not expect to encounter anyone here. It is most fortuitous that our paths have crossed."

"Hello. If I am not mistaken, you have intercepted our ship." said T'Pol, leaving the helm and standing in front of the captain's chair.

"Our scanners detected your ship sometime ago. It was our privilege to investigate. Our ship is a craft of science and exploration."

"As is ours. Do you come from a system near this sector?"

"Ah, no, our home is very far from this quadrant of space, many thousands of light years from here."

"Thousands of light years?"

"Across the galaxy. Yes, it is very far indeed. Where are your homes?"

T'Pol looked at Trip and Phlox before replying, "They are in this quadrant, but we have inadvertently come here from the future."

The alien smiled wider, indeed he looked extremely excited.

"Joy of joys! Then the great experiment worked!"

"Experiment?" asked Trip, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Long ago when our people flourished, we sent out many ships to distant worlds that knew no life and planted, after a fashion, seeds that would in time become new life. Then, in more recent times, we set up temporal rifts, hoping that our progeny would find them and come to meet us. I never thought that it would work, but here you are!"

"You are saying that you interfered with evolutionary processes on many planets and that our coming here is the result thereof?" questioned T'Pol skeptically.

"How can one interfere with life where there was no life?" he questioned. Then he held up his hand, and said, "But we did not contact you to quarrel. We were merely curious."

"Of course." acknowledged T'Pol.

"I can see much of what my people were in their greater days in the three of you. It is a comfort to know that our great experiment was successful."

"Why did you conduct this experiment, if I may ask?" questioned Phlox.

"Our sun has been dying for sometime. We have known this since the elder days of my race. We knew that we could not exist forever, and it pained us greatly to lose all that we have built and become. We wanted to be sure that the end of us would not be the end of all life."

"Can you tell us how to return to our own time through this temporal rift?" asked T'Pol.

"Yeah, and we're missing most of our crew. Can you tell us where we might find them?" asked Trip, putting his two cents in.

"Time travel is a tricky thing. It is dangerous to bring too many from one time to another. The rift uses a light-space hybrid field to make a mirror image of a mechanical body and using it as a conduit, it transfers biological lifeforms from one time to another." explained he alien.

T'Pol raised an eyebrow and Trip stood there with his mouth open. Was the alien speaking Greek?

"Do you mean a warp field?" Tucker asked.

"Yes, a warp field."

"So what do we do to get back?"

"You must simply re-establish your field and pass through the rift again. It is perfectly safe. You will be back where you should be in an instant, and then the rift will close behind you."

"Thanks. That's good to know." said Trip, relaxing.

The alien smiled and said, "You speak almost as one of us. It is most touching."

Commander Tucker grinned and said, "I can't wait to tell the captain that one."

"You do not understand. When you return to your own time, you will not remember any of this took place. It is an unfortunate cost of temporal rift travel. I am very sorry."

Commander Tucker's face fell as the alien spoke. It was almost too unfair to be true!

"Then I suppose we should take our leave of you. The sooner we return, the better." said T'Pol, being rather diplomatic for a Vulcan.

"Yes, and do not worry. Someday, your people will know of their forefathers."


	12. The Great Experimenters

When the Enterprise came to a halt, they found themselves face to face with a small vessel of an entirely unfamiliar design. It stopped a few thousand kilometers from the ship.

"T'Pol, it doesn't seem to have any weapons." said Tucker, both incredulous and relieved.

"Most fortunate."

"I believe they may be hailing us." said Phlox, pointing toward communications where a light was blinking. They both looked at him. "Just tell me what buttons to press, sub-commander." sighed the Denobulan doctor.

In a few moments a pair of aliens appeared on screen. They sort of smiled when they looked at the three officers. One pressed a few buttons on a nearby terminal before the other began to speak.

"Greetings! We did not expect to encounter anyone here. It is most fortuitous that our paths have crossed."

"Hello. If I am not mistaken, you have intercepted our ship." said T'Pol, leaving the helm and standing in front of the captain's chair.

"Our scanners detected your ship sometime ago. It was our privilege to investigate. Our ship is a craft of science and exploration."

"As is ours. Do you come from a system near this sector?"

"Ah, no, our home is very far from this quadrant of space, many thousands of light years from here."

"Thousands of light years?"

"Across the galaxy. Yes, it is very far indeed. Where are your homes?"

T'Pol looked at Trip and Phlox before replying, "They are in this quadrant, but we have inadvertently come here from the future."

The alien smiled wider, indeed he looked extremely excited.

"Joy of joys! Then the great experiment worked!"

"Experiment?" asked Trip, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Long ago when our people flourished, we sent out many ships to distant worlds that knew no life and planted, after a fashion, seeds that would in time become new life. Then, in more recent times, we set up temporal rifts, hoping that our progeny would find them and come to meet us. I never thought that it would work, but here you are!"

"You are saying that you interfered with evolutionary processes on many planets and that our coming here is the result thereof?" questioned T'Pol skeptically.

"How can one interfere with life where there was no life?" he questioned. Then he held up his hand, and said, "But we did not contact you to quarrel. We were merely curious."

"Of course." acknowledged T'Pol.

"I can see much of what my people were in their greater days in the three of you. It is a comfort to know that our great experiment was successful."

"Why did you conduct this experiment, if I may ask?" questioned Phlox.

"Our sun has been dying for sometime. We have known this since the elder days of my race. We knew that we could not exist forever, and it pained us greatly to lose all that we have built and become. We wanted to be sure that the end of us would not be the end of all life."

"Can you tell us how to return to our own time through this temporal rift?" asked T'Pol.

"Yeah, and we're missing most of our crew. Can you tell us where we might find them?" asked Trip, putting his two cents in.

"Time travel is a tricky thing. It is dangerous to bring too many from one time to another. The rift uses a light-space hybrid field to make a mirror image of a mechanical body and using it as a conduit, it transfers biological lifeforms from one time to another." explained he alien.

T'Pol raised an eyebrow and Trip stood there with his mouth open. Was the alien speaking Greek?

"Do you mean a warp field?" Tucker asked.

"Yes, a warp field."

"So what do we do to get back?"

"You must simply re-establish your field and pass through the rift again. It is perfectly safe. You will be back where you should be in an instant, and then the rift will close behind you."

"Thanks. That's good to know." said Trip, relaxing.

The alien smiled and said, "You speak almost as one of us. It is most touching."

Commander Tucker grinned and said, "I can't wait to tell the captain that one."

"You do not understand. When you return to your own time, you will not remember any of this took place. It is an unfortunate cost of temporal rift travel. I am very sorry."

Commander Tucker's face fell as the alien spoke. It was almost too unfair to be true!

"Then I suppose we should take our leave of you. The sooner we return, the better." said T'Pol, being rather diplomatic for a Vulcan.

"Yes, and do not worry. Someday, your people will know of their forefathers."


	13. Left Behind III--Faith to Believe

"Why can't I see the disturbance on the view screen, lieutenant?" asked Archer as Reed attempted to show him the anomaly. It was several thousands of kilometers away at a safe distance from the ship.

"Unknown, sir, but the sensors verify that is there." answered Malcolm.

"Is it naturally occurring or is it some kind of Suliban technology, a trap perhaps?" questioned the captain.

"It may or may not be a natural phenomenon, sir, but according to the instruments it seems to have been here for at least one billion years, although it's difficult to say exactly. I recommend launching a probe to gather more data."

"Do it, lieutenant."

"We should have a better understanding of this thing within the hour, sir." said Malcolm confidently.

"Malcolm! You look terrible!" Hoshi exclaimed as he walked into the mess hall. It was almost midnight, long after any regular meal time.

"Thanks." he said, biting back a yawn.

"What are you doing here so late?"

"The captain ordered me to get some chow while the science department prepares a probe. I wasn't planning to get anything until ..." he told Hoshi, trailing off and shaking his head.

"Until you found the missing officers?"

"Yes."

"You shouldn't torture yourself like that, Malcolm."

"It's just motivation. A hungry man finds ways and means that aren't readily apparent to a satisfied one."

"Nonsense!" scoffed Hoshi.

"Nevertheless." he shrugged, walking to one of the glass cases and picking out a salad. "What are you doing here so late?" he questioned.

"I couldn't sleep. I thought I would have some tea, and maybe see if any desserts were left from dinner."

"Sugar and caffeine before bed?" teased Malcolm.

"Chamomile tea. Would you care to join me?" asked Hoshi, retrieving her beverage from the machine.

"Why not?" he shrugged, managing an ever-so-slightly uncertain smile.

"Try to get some sleep, Hoshi." he told her half an hour later as they stood outside her quarters.

"I could tell you the same thing." she said.

His eyes twinkled a little as he smiled and looked away.

"I promise I will do just that, when I've finished my job and found those officers. Don't worry."

"I know you'll unravel this mystery, Malcolm. I believe in you."

Despite the long hours of frustrating work and incredible uncertainty, Lieutenant felt his chest swell with pride and confidence. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Hoshi."

"Um, good-night, Malcolm." she said, smiling and giggling softly as he walked hurriedly away, more determined and motivated than ever.

"If Hoshi has faith in me, then I can do anything." he thought to himself.


	14. Are We There Yet?

"How much longer?" asked Trip, who had left tactical for a more comfortable position at the engineering station. The engine was carrying them quietly forward at warp two. Phlox had left the bridge, after pulling quite a lengthy shift, and gone to the mess hall to have a quiet meal.

"If the rift is a stationary phenomenon, then we should reach it in twenty hours. Our encounter this morning has caused some delay."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"It was an interesting encounter; however, I am uncertain whether or not to believe what was said therein."

"You think the aliens were lying?"

"Perhaps."

"What would they have gained?"

"Perhaps they were scanning the ship during the conversation to see if we had useful cargo and new technology."

"Cynical! You're unbelievably cynical, T'Pol!"

"They did admit to creating a temporal rift, perhaps to lure unsuspecting ships into this time in order to rob them if they carry anything of value. They may not even be from this time themselves. Perhaps the rift leads to this time so that they can have plenty of time to observe their prey."

"But they didn't do anything to us!"

"Perhaps we had nothing they wanted."

"Then why the weird story?" asked Trip, feeling just a tiny bit insulted.

"It was in their best interest to tell us something."

"They could have just left us here, you know."

"Point taken, commander."

"How much longer?"


	15. Fruit Salad

"The two of you have been on duty for almost eight hours now without even a good breakfast." hinted Phlox sometime after his return from the mess hall.

"Vulcans can ..." began T'Pol.

"Have a decent meal like everyone else." finished Tucker, leaving his station and smiling at the doctor.

She arched an eyebrow at him as she left the helm station.

"Everything will be fine until you get back." Phlox assured her.

"Very well. You have the bridge until our return." said T'Pol, joining Trip at the lift.

"Was that so bad?"

"I would have a meal before hunger affected my judgment."

"Oh, I have no doubts there, but why miss a perfectly good meal? Hell, we could even cook something."

"I imagine you would want to char or broil a large slab of meat."

"Well, as tempting as that may sound, I think I might like to make some pancakes or French toast or something. We have missed breakfast two days in a row after all."

"I don't like human breakfast foods. The smell is unpleasant."

"Fine. Then maybe we could toss a fresh salad or bake a potato."

"A fruit salad then. Would that be acceptable?" asked Tucker. He was beginning to lose patience. T'Pol had found the idea of baking a potato unacceptable and the lettuce was starting to wilt.

"Fruit from earth?"

"Yes, of course fruit from earth."

"In my experience edible fruits are usually agreeable to eat, regardless of their point of origin."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"I don't have a great deal of experience with the fruits found on your planet."

Trip grinned and said, "This is going to be fun then."

When he had collected some fine specimens from the storage units, Trip lined them up on the counter next to a large bowl and a knife.

He held up a bright red apple and said, "This is an apple."

Commander Tucker was about to expound upon the virtues of the red delicious when T'Pol said, "I know the names of the fruits. I simply have not ingested them before."

For a moment Trip thought her lips twitched as though she wanted smile, or even laugh. Tucker sighed heavily and shook his head as he put the apple down.

"You can really take the fun out of anything."

"I am sorry, commander."

"Trip. It's Trip." he told her as he began to peel the apple.

"If there is another knife, I would be quite willing to help you."

"Knock yourself out." he said, pointing to a drawer that held the utensils.

"With a knife? That would undoubtedly be very painful."

"It's just a simple, human expression, T'Pol."

She took a knife from the drawer and picked up a green apple from the counter.

Holding it slightly aloft, she said, "This is also an apple."

"Sure is." agreed Trip, who was concentrating intently on removing the apple's peel in one piece. "It's an art." he told T'Pol as she began peeling the fruit in a more methodical fashion.

"I hardly think this is an art form."

"Try to remove the skin of the apple in one piece." he instructed her.

She furrowed her brow and said, "Fine. I will."

Three apples, two pears, and a very unfortunate peach later T'Pol had yet to remove a peel as a single piece. Commander Tucker could not help but to look just a little smug.

"I told you it was an art."

"How can you do it so easily then?" she questioned, looking at the whole peel from his first apple.

"Practice, of course." Trip told her. "Ever since I was a boy." he added.

"Indeed."

"Ready to eat then?" he asked, looking at the rather gooey mixture in the bowl. It wasn't the best looking fruit salad ever, but it had been fun to make.

"Of course, Trip."

"You can carry the bowl while I get us some plates and ... spoons. Find us a nice table near a window, would you?"


	16. No More Apples For You

"How was lunch?" asked Phlox as the pair returned to the bridge. It had taken them some time to eat and then to get their fingers unsticky.

"It was satisfactory." said T'Pol.

"And here I was hoping that you'd admit that it was fun." said Tucker.

"We made a fruit salad." explained the Vulcan, resuming her place at the helm.

"You didn't have any left over by any chance, did you?"

"I'm afraid we ate all of it, doc, but there is plenty of fruit left if you want to make one yourself." Commander Tucker told him.

"I might do that, commander." said Phlox with a smile. A soft wheezing sound caught the doctor's attention. He turned toward T'Pol and noticed that she was rubbing her eyes. "Sub-commander, do you feel all right?"

"I am not certain, doctor." she answered.

Phlox looked at her eyes, which were beginning to water, and at the slight irritation where she had rubbed them. Then he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Why don't we pay a quick visit to sickbay, sub-commander?"

"What's wrong?" asked Trip.

"I believe T'Pol may be allergic to whatever she just consumed."

"You have the bridge, commander." she rasped as Phlox ushered her to the lift.

"I'm not going to be able to live this down. Not ever. She will never forget this." said Trip after the doors had closed behind them.

"I can't be allergic. I have never been diagnosed with allergies. Check my files." insisted T'Pol as Phlox prepared a hypospray to treat her.

"I have no doubt that you aren't allergic to anything on Vulcan, but I afraid you are certainly allergic to apples, sub-commander, and apples are from earth."

"It was a mistake to try human food."

"Now, now. That isn't fair. Even humans can be allergic to certain foods indigenous to their own planet. It is quite common."

"Yes, I have heard of Lieutenant Reed's unfortunate allergy to the pineapple. Perhaps I should have taken warning."

"If you enjoy apples, I am sure than I can prepare a regular hypospray for you to ..." Phlox began to tell her.

"That will not be necessary. I have learned my lesson."

"Don't be too sure of that. After all, we won't remember any of this once we return to our own time."

"That is very unfortunate."

"Because of the apples or because of the understanding you have reached with Commander Tucker?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Phlox smiled softly and pressed the hypospray to her neck. She continued to look straight ahead, but one eyebrow was slightly arched. Was it a sign of defensiveness?

"Of course not." he chuckled. "You should feel perfectly fine in half an hour or so. If not, just let me know and I will give you another hypospray."

"Thank you, doctor."

Commander Tucker came to his feet the instant the lift doors opened. He expected that she would be angry, or at least annoyed with the situation. Then, as she nodded curtly and took her seated again, he remembered that she was Vulcan. It would easier for her to go nova like a star than to express any exasperation or annoyance he might have inadvertently caused her. Trip looked questioningly at the doctor, who gave him a small smile and a nod. Everything was okay.

"Commander Tucker, no more apples, not ever. Remember that for me." she said unemotionally. For a moment he thought she might have found the entire incident humorous. Then he reminded himself for a second time that Sub-commander T'Pol was a Vulcan.

"Of course. Absolutely, positively no more apples."

"Thank you."


	17. Left Behind IV--So Damn Frustrating

"You could use a shave, lieutenant." said Captain Archer as he looked at the information compiled from the readings taken by the probe. In was five o'clock in the morning, and he could tell that Reed had yet to sleep or shower. He was dedicated to the performance of his duty.

"Yes, sir." he said quietly, watching Archer skim the carefully prepared report.

"Break this down for me, Malcolm. What does this tell us that we didn't know last night?"

"Of practical use or just in general?"

"Just in general."

"Dimensions of the phenomenon, energy readings, a better guess as to its age, and the relative strength of the disturbance as compared to known time travel technology used by the Suliban."

"And practical use?"

Malcolm hung his head as he answered, "Absolutely nothing, sir."

"Nothing yet, lieutenant. You never know what these readings may mean in the long term."

"Thank you, sir."

"Malcolm, I would really appreciate it if you took a few hours to get some sleep."

"But there is so much that I could be doing."

"That isn't already being done? I doubt that, lieutenant. A little time with your eyes closed might give you a fresh perspective."

"I can spare three hours. Would that be sufficient, sir?"

"I believe so."

Malcolm Reed was not a happy man as he walked down the long hallway to his quarters. He had practically vowed not to rest until his fellow officers were safe again. He couldn't shrug aside the feeling that he was being delinquent in his duties. Rationally, he knew that he was only one man, despite the fact that he was doubling as both Armory Officer and First Officer, not to mention doing more science department-related things than he had ever intended. But that didn't matter. He felt responsible for the crew of the Enterprise, and until they were all safe and sound, he wouldn't be able to rest well, or if he had his own way, at all.

"I can't believe I've been ordered to sleep." he muttered to himself as he walked.

"I can't believe you haven't been ordered to bathe, Stinky." he thought he heard someone say behind him. He whirled around, expecting to find someone standing there, perhaps Ensign Sato. The corridor was empty.

"I suppose a little shut eye might be quite beneficial." he said, shaking his head to clear it.


	18. What if Night Never Comes

"The temporal rift has been detected on long range scanners." said T'Pol, glancing over her shoulder at Tucker and Phlox, who were attempting to relax at the stations they had taken.

"Has it moved any?"

"No, commander."

"That's good to know."

"And what is our estimated time of arrival?" questioned Phlox.

"Ten hours, twenty-three minutes."

"I have lost all sense of time, T'Pol. What about you?" asked Trip.

"I must admit to a certain disorientation."

"Doc?"

"Time is very subjective thing. The days aboard this ship have always seemed too short, if you ask me. I wouldn't even want to guess."

Commander Tucker yawned and stretched.

"If you are tired, commander, then it is probably late. Perhaps you should rest." suggested T'Pol.

"I can't really decide if I'm tired or just bored."

"Really? The two sensations are not distinct?"

"Not at times like this."

"You mean when there is little to do but wait."

"That's it exactly."

"I don't want to make it 'doctor's orders', but I do feel that both of you could use some rest." insisted Phlox. T'Pol almost seem to glare at the doctor as she rose slowly from her seat at the helm station, but if so, then it was a very tired glare. Tucker seemed to be dozing, rousing himself only slightly as he left his seat.

"Very well, doctor, but you must contact the commander and me once we are within two hours of the temporal rift or if our situation changes in any way."

"Reasonable." said Phlox with a nod.

"Then you have the bridge, doctor." she said before turning to Commander Tucker. "You have been ordered to rest as well, commander."

"You won't get any disagreement from me, T'Pol. I feel absolutely beat."

"I must admit that I find my own conduct less than professional." T'Pol told him as they stepped from the lift and into the corridors of E Deck.

"How so?" questioned Tucker as they walked.

"A Vulcan officer does not leave her post because of fatigue."

"You don't think that extraordinary circumstances might have something to do with that?"

"To what circumstances do you refer?"

"Time deprivation, unexpected changes in the daily routine, dietary changes, and going through a temporal rift." listed Tucker.

T'Pol considered the factors and said, "And, of course, the hypospray that Dr. Phlox administered earlier."

"Well, there you go."

"Thank you, Trip. I no longer consider my performance unsatisfactory given the circumstances."

"So you feel better now?"

She raised an eyebrow as they stopped at the door to his quarters, telling him, "I am a Vulcan. I never feel better."

Trip roared with laughter at the statement before managing to a chortle, "I'm sorry, T'Pol."

"That was not what I meant."

"Of course not." said Tucker, his lips still twitching.

"Good-night, Trip."

"Good-night, T'Pol."


	19. Sleeping Arrangements

It was some time later, perhaps as long as two hours later, when Trip awoke to the sound of someone at his door. He was momentarily disoriented, but then he switched on the light and went to answer the annoying chime.

When the door whisked open, Sub-commander T'Pol was standing there in a robe with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Is something the matter?" he questioned.

"I could not fall asleep. I continued to think about what you said last night, even after I had decided to sleep."

"What I said last night?" questioned Trip, rubbing his eyes and trying to remember.

"That I should stay and be certain that neither of us would disappear."

"Oh, that."

"Perhaps to do so tonight would be more appropriate."

"Excuse me?" questioned Trip, certain that he had not heard or understood properly.

"Does the offer still stand?"

"Of course." he answered, recovering quickly from the initial surprise. He stepped aside so she could enter his quarters.

He stood there stupidly for a moment as she, still wearing the robe, climbed into bed and said, "Trip, we only have a few hours left to sleep. Are just going to stand there?"

"No, no, wouldn't dream of it." Commander Tucker climbed into bed and switched off the lights. "Are you sure the smell won't bother you?" he asked her in the dark.

"I took another dose of my nasal numbing agent. I will be fine."

"That's good to know." he said.

They both lay in bed for several minutes, looking at the ceiling in the dark and listening to the comfortable hum of the engines.

"Good-night." she said sleepily, closing her eyes.

Trip lay there for a long time before he could fall asleep again.

"Don't let me forget this." he pleaded silently with the surrounding darkness. "Don't let me ever forget this."


	20. In Our Own Time

"Phlox to Commander Tucker. I have some alarming news." said a worried voice over the comm system a few hours later.

T'Pol turned onto her side and made a soft sound as Trip extricated his right arm, upon which she had been sleeping. It tingled, but the only thing that Trip could think of at that moment was how beautiful T'Pol looked when she was asleep. He shook his head quickly to clear it as Phlox's words penetrated both the drowsiness and wistfulness.

"What's wrong?" he asked, turning the lights up to ten percent.

His voice was just loud enough to wake the sleeping Vulcan. She sat up in bed and combed her fingers through her short hair.

"I contacted Sub-commander T'Pol's quarters a few minutes ago and received no answer from her. I am concerned, commander."

They looked at one another for a moment. Commander Tucker smiled and stifled a laugh while T'Pol raised an eyebrow. Trip put his index finger to his lips before she could speak.

"I bet she's in the shower or having an early breakfast, doc. You want me to look for her?"

"Of course, commander. That would be most satisfactory."

"Okay, doc. Tucker out."

"It would have been just as easy to allow me to speak." said T'Pol, almost pointedly as she left the bed and straightened her robe.

"I didn't think you'd want the doc to know."

"We haven't done anything inappropriate."

"Of course not." agreed Trip.

"Then I should perhaps have a shower and put on my uniform. It would be advisable for you to do the same."

"Fine. Fine." said Tucker, rubbing his arm, which was still asleep. He almost wished he could join it.

"I will see you on the bridge in a few minutes then." said T'Pol curtly as she opened the door and left Commander Tucker sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Maybe I don't want to remember this after all." he muttered.

"I hope you told the doctor that you're all right and everything." he told T'Pol when he saw that she was waiting for him at the lift.

"Of course. I merely enlarged upon your explanation."

"Darn good one, wasn't it?" he asked, grinning.

"Indeed. One almost wonders how many times it has been used previously."

"Not that many." defended Trip with mock indignation. "Shall we join Phlox on the bridge?"

Trip looked at the floor for a moment and shuffled his feet, but then he said, "I want you to know something."

"What?"

"These last couple of days, or how ever long it's been, have been real special to me, T'Pol. I know the aliens told us that we'd forget everything once we go back through that temporal rift, but I want to remember this."

"You are being sentimental."

"Don't I know it."

"I have no more control over the loss of memory than you do, Trip, but if it were possible, if I could control the effects of the rift on our memories, I would also choose not to forget."

"That means a lot."

"It means nothing. Nevertheless, what we have had here, this closeness and fondness for one another, we may certainly have again someday in our own time. What has happened here between us may yet happen again."

"Really?"

"It is only logical."

Then T'Pol leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the cheek. Commander Tucker was too stunned to speak or even move for several seconds.

"Wonders will never cease." he whispered.

"Strangely enough, that has been my experience as well."

"Our ETA is currently sixty-seven minutes." reported Phlox as he good-naturedly gave up his seat for Sub-commander T'Pol. Trip sighed softly and felt the ache of loss that always comes when a human tries to hold on to a time or a place that will not last.

"Do we have visual confirmation of the temporal rift?"

"I don't think so, but then, why should we be able to see a doorway in time?" questioned Phlox rhetorically.

With that remark the trio watched the stars rush by in silence, waiting for the end of their strange journey to come.


	21. Where Have I Been?

When Commander Tucker opened his eyes, he was lying in bed. But unlike most mornings, he did not feel sleepy or out of sorts. In fact he couldn't figure out why he was in bed at all, especially since the lights weren't even turned off. He glanced at his clock. It read all zeros. The glitch reminded him of something. But what?

He climbed out of bed only to find that he was in full uniform. Trip just stood there looking at himself for a moment, trying to remember something that he had forgotten. It seemed very important, but it was so elusive.

"Oh, hell, it'll come to me." he finally decided.

When he stepped into the corridor, he looked around. It was very quiet and very empty. He had an odd, inexplicable feeling of dÃ©jÃ  vu. Then he heard wearily trudging footsteps. Turning toward the sound, he saw a very downcast and unhappy looking Malcolm Reed walking his way.

"Hey, Malcolm, what do you know?" he called, rather pleased to see the armory officer.

Lieutenant Reed's head jerked up as the voice reached him. From a distance one might have thought he had been shot. He just stood there with his mouth open for a few seconds before dashing down the corridor toward Commander Tucker, who had the terribly uncomfortable feeling that Malcolm was about to hug him.

"Commander! Is it really you? I thought we would never see you alive again!" gushed Malcolm with extreme relief written on his face.

"Did I miss a meeting?" asked Tucker, frowning as Malcolm clapped him heartily on the back.

"I'll say, commander. You've been missing for almost three days."

"That's not possible, Malcolm. Are you pulling my leg?"

"No, sir. Sub-commander T'Pol, Dr. Phlox, and yourself have all been absent from the ship since shift began two days ago."

"How can that be?"

"We think a temporal anomaly of some kind was to blame. I have several reports on the matter, sir, if you want to look them over."

"Of course. I think I would like to see them."

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Where were you?"

"Did you check my quarters?"

"Naturally."

"Then I haven't a clue, Malcolm."


	22. What Was Lost Must Again Be Found

"To two of the best officers in Star Fleet. We are grateful for their safe return." said Captain Archer, toasting T'Pol and Trip. Phlox had elected not to join them for dinner. It was something about soaking a couple of mildly burnt fingers in some sort of unholy gross bile. The captain had wanted no details.

"Here, here." said Lieutenant Reed, clinking glasses with the rest. The captain was giving him credit for somehow managing the return of the three missing officers, and Malcolm was glad to accept it.

"I just wish I knew where I've been." laughed Tucker, feeling a perplexing flutter in his stomach as he looked at Sub-commander T'Pol.

"As do I." she agreed, reaching for a bowl of apple cobbler.

"No apples, sub-commander." said Tucker suddenly.

She arched an eyebrow and asked him, "Why not? You have eaten some of this dish."

"I just have a bad feeling about you and apples." said Trip, blushing and clearing his throat.

T'Pol hesitated and then drew her hand back.

"I will heed your advice." she decided.

"You know, we should really do something nice for the doc." said Captain Archer. "You know his birthday passed while the three of you were missing, right?" he questioned.

"And for all we know, we might have celebrated it." joked Trip.

"I am not certain that birthdays are celebrated on Denobula." said T'Pol.

"Well, they're celebrated here." said Archer firmly.

"We could always have Ensign Cutler jump out of a cake." Commander Tucker offered.

Archer and Reed turned and looked at him somewhat disapprovingly. But he didn't notice. What caught Trip's eye was T'Pol's hand suddenly clapping over her mouth. She had smiled.

"If that don't beat all!" murmured Commander Tucker.

"Commander?" questioned T'Pol, removing her hand. Her facial expression was placid and unemotional again.

"Those three days must have been something, even if you can't remember. I have never seen the two of you so civil. It's a nice change." chuckled Captain Archer.

"It is indeed." agreed Trip with a smile. "And it's good to be home."


End file.
